TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4488, 16 October 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

WAGES OF WHARF LABOURERS. The hearing of the wharf labour dis* puto by the Arbitration Court was cor* eluded yesterday. When tho Court hag framed its award, due notice will be given cf its delivery. Addresses were given yesterday by l£r G. F. Smith (Wel« lington Harbour Board, Mr G. E. Cross (Messrs John Mill and Co.), and Messrs D. McLaren and A. Graff (Wellington Wharf Labourers’ Union). Interesting statements were handed in by Mr Cross to show tho steady decrease in freights which has taken place during the last ten years, and the difficulty which steamers are experiencing at tho present time in getting cargo for London. Tho names were given of eight steamer, which, during the last four months, loft for the Old Country with considerably less than their full complement of cargo. Other steamers were referred to wh'ch had had to go to Australia for loading. There was also areferenfce to two steam, ors which are temporarily laid up here, waiting for cargo. NEW INDUSTRIES AND NEW MARKETS. The productiveness of Now Zealand and the expansion of her export trace are very far from having reached their limit. It is possible that wo may learn something from “our great rival.” A large industry hag sprung up in the Argentine in the manufacture of a pro, . duct called “carna pura,” meaning liter, ally pure beef. The article in question is really meat meal, made from the lean parts or tho carcases of oxen and sheep. The process of manufacture is exceedingly simple. The lean part of the car* case is x carefully separated from all fat, sliced into thin (pieces, and quickly ■ dried by means of heated air. By this process it becomes very hard, and. is, after cooling, ground into a coarse powder. A very largo demand for this article has sprung up in Europe, where it is largely used for the making of soups and maky other dishes combined with vegetables. Also the article in question is largely exported in its ungrcwind state, in pieces simply packed in boxes, and used' for stewg, ragouts, etc. Oouti* neutal paporg speak highly of the same article in either state, and the meal itself seems to have largely superseded the us® of tho extract of beef. A recently published cookery book gives the recipes cf a score of different dishes into the composition of which carna pura enters. Other products exported, particularly to the Dutch East Indies, are smoked mutton: hams and smoked beef. The mutton hams must bo or the largest sine and rather fat; the same applies to the beef, and a really firstclass article of both commands tne high, eat price. Canned meat, on account of its insipidity, has never been largely used on the Continent, and the use ot it is, even discouraged.by,Governments; 'but the contrary ha*, been tho case with salted and smoked meats. A very large do mand also exists for these kinds of moats in Cochin China. A firm in. Sajgcn ’raports immense quantities of salted beef in kegs, and they prefer the New Zealand article ,by a long way to the Queensland one. Many markets are open for New Zealand produce and only want to be looked up by our merchants. Perhaps the proposed exclusion or ou* produce from Australia will induce them to look out for some new outlets, bom* of our enterprising meat companies ought to see if they can turn out “earns pura,” or the same article under an-Eng. lish name. ... i TRADE WITH AMERICA. The inauguration of a steam service between New York and New Zealand has caused a great development of trade* At the outset there wag'a'tremendous competition between competing un™> ol stearUers, and rates were brought down to 7s 6d and 10s per ton, about the rates at present ruling between Wellington and Lyttelton. This resulted in the introduction into this colony of a large number of line* from America which pic viously had not been gold in the colonies, and which have been found so suitable 14 colonial requirements that their jmr portation has been continued, notwitn. standing that freight rates have in the meantime jumped up again. These good* are exclusively carried in British, owned steamers. It has been suggested that it is unfair on the part of British shipowners to develop American trade end so prejudice tho interests pf British manufacturer*, but it i» explained that in order to provide for the tonnage that is required in this colony for tho conveyance of cur produce to 1/mdon it ii necessary to seek outward cargo id America. These boats do not, how, ever, take any British merchandise from, say, London to New York, but they load wholly and solely in America. In con, sequence of tho inauguration of the Tyser line service, trade with the eastern side of America has developed to a tl» mendens extent.

THE SEATTLE PROJECT. “What New Zealanders are going U gain By such a project it is impossible to conceive,” said a prominent Welling, ton merchant to a “Times” reporter yes, terday, alluding to a proposal which hsu been made (and which has been seriously embraced in the Hawke’s Bay district] that the people of this colony should take up shares in a woollen factory tc be established at Seattle. “First of all," continued deponent, “Seattle is a thousand miles from the principal centres ol population, and secondly there is a large duty on wool to encounter. Now, if capital were really required a n enterprise of this kind, why should it not be found in America, where’ so miicl money is always available for- develop, mental purposes. The reason given foi asking the farmers of New Zealand vo go into the thing is that the wool u to bo taken from the colonies- But wno is going to fix the price? If they p.v« the local farmers a higher price than the wool can be obtained tor on the Loudou market, then they cannot compete with other manufacturers- There seems to be something about the whole scheme which requires a lot of explanation- Oly course we, here on the sP°t. with the raw material at command and low pyicos ruling, ought to be able to manufacture woollen / gc ods, such as blankets, over.

coals, tweeds, etc., cheaper than they can in the outside markets, and listaulish a big trade accordingly, but the fact is that, our labour conditions are prohibitive.”